Argenteuil 1875

Claude Monet made this painting, titled "Argenteuil", with oil on canvas. Monet's paintings embody the spirit of Impressionism, a movement that challenged the established norms of the French art world. In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions like the Académie des Beaux-Arts held significant power, dictating artistic standards and exhibition opportunities. Impressionists like Monet broke away from this system, seeking to capture fleeting moments and subjective experiences rather than adhering to academic ideals of realism and historical narrative. "Argenteuil" exemplifies this shift, depicting a leisure scene on the Seine. The location itself, a suburb of Paris, reflects the growing accessibility of such areas due to industrialization and changing social structures. Art historians study exhibition records, artists' letters, and critical reviews to better understand the context in which art was created and displayed. In this way, we see that Monet's paintings not only captured the beauty of the modern world but also subtly questioned the role of art and the artist in a changing society.